Apparatus for manufacturing gas.



. 'E. RIDER. APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING GASl APPLICATION FILED NOV: 12, 1907'. v 5900,4523. Patented Oct. 6, 1908.

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aiiesi v E. RIDER. I APPARATUS FOR. MANUFACTURING GAS.

APPLICATION IiLED NOV. 12, 1 907.

Patented '-0ct.;6, 1908.

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'ArrARA Us i on MANUFAoTuBING GAS.

i Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 6, 1908.

Application filed-November 12, 1907. Serial No. 401,865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER RIDEIqa citizen of the United States, and resident of St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in'Apparatus for Manufacturing Fuel-Gas from Mineral Carbonates and Oarbonaceous Material, of which the following isa specification containinga full, clear, and exact description,reference being had to the-accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof. 1

My invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing fuel gas from mineral car bonates and carbonaceous material, my object being to construct a simple apparatus in the form of a furnace, which is provided with retorts in whichthe carbonates and carbona- V ceous material is placed and heated in order to be thoroughly decomposed to free the carbon dioxid and otherfnon-ignitible gases,

which latter is conducted through a body of heated carbon in order to convert said gases into carbon monoxid, methane, and hydrogen gases, which can be used Without further treatment as fuel for gas engines and the like, or for heating purposes. e

A further object of my invention is to provide means whereby one of the setsof retorts of each bench may bejcut out of service While the contents of said retort are being "discharged without affecting the "operation of the opposite set. f

To the above purposes,my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of'parts, which willbe here'- inafter more fully set forth, pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompa-l nying drawings,'inwhichz Figure 1 is a vertical section taken through the center of anapparatus of my improved construction; Fig. 2 is a frontelevation of a portion of the apparatus, and showing one of the benches of retorts; Fig. 3 is an elevation of the water trap or seal which is located on topof the apparatus and atthe rear thereof; Fig. 4. is avertical section taken through the center of a water seal or trap which is located on top and at the front of the apparatus.

Referring by numeralsto the accompanying drawings :1 designates" the furnace,

which is of, the. construction usually employed in gas roducers; and arranged in said furnace in the usualmanner are the airs of retorts 2 which receive the mineral car onates from which the gas is extracted and arranged on the forward ends of said retorts are tubular metal fittings 3, the forward ends of which are closed and made air tight by means of plates 4. Y

The upper rear ends of the retorts 2 are provided with tubular metal fittings 5, which are closedand made air tight by removable plates '6;

Arranged in the usual manner above the upper pair of retorts 2 are the retorts 7, which are adapted'to receive carbon, the forward 1 ends. of said retorts being provided with tubular fittings 8, the forward ends of which retorts are provided with tubular metal fit tings -10,'fand which are closed and made air tightbymeans of removable plates 11.

Arranged on top of the furnace and at the rear thereof is'a Water seal or trap 12; and leading upward from the tubular fittings 10 of the upper pairof retorts 7 into said seal or trap are the pipes 13, in which are located gate valves, such as '14. f Leading from the water seal or trap 12 to a gasometer, or like container, is a pipe 15, in which is located an exhaust fan 16, or similar device. Fixed on top of the furnace and at the front thereof is a water seal or trap 17, and leading from the tubular fittings 3 upward and into said trap are ipes 18. Leading upward from the tubu ar fittings 8 on the upper pair of retorts are the pipes 19, which discharge into the water seal or trap 17 and located in said I 23 by means of which the height of the water within-the seal or trap may be readily ascertained.

When my improved apparatus is in use, limestone, or other mineral carbonate, 'or carbonaceous material, after being broken, to the desired size, is placed in the retorts 2 until the same are about three-fourths full. Charcoal, or other carbon, coarsely broken, is placed in the retorts 7 in suflicient amount to approximately fill said retorts. The

plates 4., 6,. 9, and 11 are now tightly seated on the endsv of the tubular fittings so as to make theretorts perfectly air tight, and fire is built-in the furnace, using any desirable fuel, and the temperature in the retorts is broughtto about 1100 E, which temperature, is maintained as near as possible until all of the volatile matter has been expelled from the carbonates within the retorts 2, which operation requires from three to four hours. During the decarbonization of the mineral carbonates, the exhaust fan 16 is operated continuously so as to remove the gases from the retorts 2 and 7 as fast as generated, as hereinafter described; thereby hastening the operation, and at the same time preventing an excess pressure against the walls of said retorts. The gases thus genera-ted in the retorts 2 are drawn through the tubular connections 18 and discharge from the upper ends thereof into the trap or seal 17, and pass from thence through the pipes 19, the gate valves 20 of which are open, and from thence to and through the retorts 7 containing the charcoal or other carbon; and from thence said gases pass through the pipes 13, the gate valves 14 of which are open, and said gases discharge from said pipe 13 into the trap of seal 12, and from thence through the pipe 15 to the gasometer, or other container, from whence the gas may be drawn off and used as desired. During this operation, the generation of non-ignitible carbon dioxid is almost completely prevented by excluding the air from the retorts during the decarbonization of the carbonates, and whatever carbon dioxid is formed is completely converted into carbon monoxid during its passage through the red hot charcoal, or other carbon contained'in the retorts 7, owing to the total absence of air, as shown by the reaction :CO +O= 2C0. Owing to the moisture and water of crystallization and organic impurities contained in nearly all limestone or other mineral carbonates, there is formed during this treatment of the carbonates a com ound gas, composed of carbon monoxid, met ane, hydrogen, and a small amount of nitrogen; of an average composition ap roximately as follows: carbon monoxid, O) 88% to 90%; methane, (CH 1% to 3%; hydrogen, (H 3% to 5%; nitrogen, (N )4% to 6%. In generating this gas during the manufacture of Portland or other cement, wherein the process calls for a mixture of calcium carbonate, alluminates, silicates, and coal, as is used in some of the processes for manufacturing Portland cement, the material is placed in the retorts as above described and the heat is raised to the desired degree to form clinker, the gas being con ducted through the apparatus as previously described.

I have found by actual working of the process and by analytical tests that a ton of ordinary limestone produces from 13000 to 15000 cubic feet of gas, showin heating power by analysis to be 320 Britis thermal units, and a by-product of anhydrous calcium oxid, weighing from 1125 to 1140 pounds.

Owing to the arrangement of connections between the sets of retorts 2 and 7, all of the gases generated from the carbonates )ass through the retorts 8 containing car on,

thereby completely converting carbon dioxid into carbon monoxid.

When it is desired to cut out one of the retorts 7, for the purpose of discharging the cari bon therefrom, the gate valves 14 and 20 of the pipes 13 and 19 leading upward from the ends of the retort to be cut out are closed; and following this action, the gases generated in the pair of retorts 2, immediately below the retort 7 which is cut out, pass upward through the corresponding pair of pipes 18 into the trap or seal 17, and from thence through the pipe 19 which remains in service, and from thence to and through the corresponding retort 7, corresponding pipe 13, to and through the tra or seal 12, and from thence to and throug 1 the pipe 15 to the gasometer. Thus the retort 7 may be temporarily cut out of service for the purpose of renewing the carbon whenever desired and all of the gases generated in the corresponding pair of retorts 2 is caused to pass through the ody of the carbon in the opposite retort 7 to convert the carbon dioxid into carbon monoxid I claim 1., An apparatus for manufacturing fuel gas from mlneral carbonates and carbonaceous material, comprising a furnace, a series of inclined retorts arranged therein and adapted to receive the mineral carbonates, a water seal arranged above the lower ends. of said retorts, tubular connections leading from the forward ends of the retorts to the water seal, a pair of retorts arranged adjacent the first mentioned retorts and adapted to receive carbonaceous material, tubular connections leading from the lower ends of the second mentioned pair of: retorts to the water seal, valves located in said last mentioned tubular connections, a water seal arranged above the rear ends of the retorts, tubular connections leading from the second mentioned pair of retorts to the second mentioned water seal, and valves located in the last mentioned pair of tubular connections.

2. An apparatus for manufacturing fuel gas from mineral carbonates and carbonaceous material, comprising a furnace, a plurality of inclined retorts arranged therein and adapted to receive the mineral carbonates, air tight fittings arranged on the ends of said retorts, a water seal arranged above the lower ends of said retorts, tubular connections leading from the air tight fittings on the lower ends of said retorts to the Water seal, and the ends of which tubular connections extend below the water line in the water seal, a pair of retorts arranged adjacent the first mentioned retorts and adapted to receive carbonaceous material, air tight fittings on both ends of said pair of retorts, tu-

bular connections leading from the air tight fittings on the lower ends of said pair of retorts to the Water seal, Valves located in the a last mentioned tubular connections, a water seal arranged above the rear ends of the retorts, tubular connections leading from the air tight fittings on the rear ends of the pair of retorts to the last mentioned water seal, Valves located in said tubular connections,

10 and means whereby suction is created In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in presence of two subscrlbing Witnesses.

ELMER RIDER.

Witnesses:

M. P. SMITH,

E. L. WALLACE. 

